Jeanne Casteen

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Jeanne Casteen

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Arizona State University, 2008

Graduate

Arizona State University, 2010

Personal

Birthplace

Harvard, Ill.

Religion

Secular

Contact

Campaign website

Jeanne Casteen (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Arizona State Senate to represent District 2. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Biography

Jeanne Casteen was born in Harvard, Illinois. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in 2008 and an M.Ed. from Arizona State University in 2010.

Elections

2022

See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Arizona State Senate District 2

Steve Kaiser defeated Jeanne Casteen in the general election for Arizona State Senate District 2 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Kaiser (R)	51.8	41,668
		Jeanne Casteen (D)	48.2	38,708

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 80,376
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 2

Jeanne Casteen advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 2 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeanne Casteen	100.0	16,574

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,574
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Victoria Thompson (D)
• Rosanna Gabaldón (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Arizona State Senate District 2

Steve Kaiser advanced from the Republican primary for Arizona State Senate District 2 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Kaiser	100.0	21,820

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,820
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2020

See also: Municipal elections in Maricopa County, Arizona (2020)

General election

General election for Maricopa County School Superintendent

Incumbent Steve Watson defeated Jeanne Casteen in the general election for Maricopa County School Superintendent on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Watson (R)	50.3	946,409
		Jeanne Casteen (D)	49.6	934,501
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,771

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,882,681
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Maricopa County School Superintendent

Jeanne Casteen advanced from the Democratic primary for Maricopa County School Superintendent on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeanne Casteen	99.5	353,065
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	1,742

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 354,807
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Maricopa County School Superintendent

Incumbent Steve Watson advanced from the Republican primary for Maricopa County School Superintendent on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Watson	99.3	355,687
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	2,524

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 358,211
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jeanne Casteen did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Jeanne Casteen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Casteen's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Jeanne Casteen is a lifelong educator and advocate. A married mother of four, middle school and high school teacher, and school board president, Jeanne works tirelessly for fair funding, education of the WHOLE child, and professional respect for educators. Born in the Midwest to two United Auto Workers, Ms. Casteen understands the importance of union representation to improve working conditions. After seeing how she couldn't affect real change for her students within her classroom, Ms. Casteen ran for school board in 2012. In that time, her district implemented a supper program to address food insecurity, opened a family resource center that offers classes to adult learners, and partnered with local universities to address the teacher shortage.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Jeanne believes schools should be fully and equitably funded; zip code should not determine a child's success or failure in life.
• Public education should address the needs of the whole child, including their social, emotional, and mental health needs.
• Educators, from bus drivers, to secretaries, to teachers, deserve professional respect.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Some areas of public policy that are inherently intertwined with public education are

-Affordable Housing: Cities and municipalities must ensure access to affordable housing units for individuals and families.
-Immigration Reform: We must create a path to citizenship for individuals who are in this country and work to reunite families who have been separated by deportation.
-Civil Rights: Cities and municipalities must work continually to protect the rights of vulnerable groups.

-Criminal Justice Reform: We must revamp our judicial system so that individuals receive rehabilitation over punitive action; incarcerated individuals should have access to meaningful education and training programs; cash bail systems need to be eliminated for most offenses; released felons should have access to housing, jobs, and retain their voting rights in most cases.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

This office is important because it determines the outcomes for school board appointments in Maricopa County. Anytime there is a vacancy in any of the 58 school districts in Maricopa County, the county superintendent appoints someone to that vacancy.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, by Paulo Freire, best represents my political philosophy.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Elected officials must be empathetic, nimble, and solutions-oriented.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Strong communication skills.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

School finance assistance, alternative school oversight, and school board appointments are the core responsibilities of this office.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope to be an advocate for members of our most vulnerable communities.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working as a busser at a local restaurant where my mom waited tables. After the factory where she worked went on strike, my mother bagged groceries, delivered newspapers, and waited tables to pay the bills and she got me the job. I worked there during all four years in high school, and it showed me how hard my parents worked to provide for my sisters and me.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood as it serves as a cautionary tale for complacency in modern society and the dangers of mixing church and state.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Atticus Finch because he always fought for what's right, even would cause him personal peril.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

History Repeats by Brittany Howard

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

This office provides oversight for the Alternative County School District which includes our schools in our juvenile detention facilities. These students are typically underserved, but require the most supports and interventions.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

It is incredibly beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government because there is a huge opportunity for collaboration. Public servants have access to these networks and experience in problem-solving.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2022 Elections

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Government

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Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

Arizona State Senate District 2

Website

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Arizona State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Warren Petersen

Majority Leader:Janae Shamp

Minority Leader:Priya Sundareshan

Senators

District 1

Mark Finchem (R)

District 2

Shawnna Bolick (R)

District 3

John Kavanagh (R)

District 4

Carine Werner (R)

District 5

Lela Alston (D)

District 6

Theresa Hatathlie (D)

District 7

Wendy Rogers (R)

District 8

Lauren Kuby (D)

District 9

Kiana Sears (D)

District 10

David Farnsworth (R)

District 11

Catherine Miranda (D)

District 12

Denise Epstein (D)

District 13

Javan Mesnard (R)

District 14

Warren Petersen (R)

District 15

Jake Hoffman (R)

District 16

Thomas Shope (R)

District 17

Vince Leach (R)

District 18

Priya Sundareshan (D)

District 19

David Gowan (R)

District 20

Sally Gonzales (D)

District 21

Rosanna Gabaldón (D)

District 22

Eva Diaz (D)

District 23

Brian Fernandez (D)

District 24

Analise Ortiz (D)

District 25

Tim Dunn (R)

District 26

Flavio Bravo (D)

District 27

Kevin Payne (R)

District 28

Frank Carroll (R)

District 29

Janae Shamp (R)

District 30

Hildy Angius (R)

Republican Party (17)

Democratic Party (13)